90 



APPOLMNARIO. 



dividual concerning whom the enquiry was 

 made, had been born in the first, second, or 

 third year of such a governor. The dreadful 

 famine of 1793 is also an era from which the 

 peasants date many circumstances. 



Old Apollinario was staying at Conception 

 with a friend, and I requested him to come down 

 to my place every evening for the purpose of 

 teaching some of the young persons their prayers, 

 a task of which I knew him to be fond, as he 

 considered this to be a meritorious action ; one 

 by which he would have still further services to 

 plead in his favour with the Virgin and St. Peter, 

 as he himself told me. When he came to give 

 his report to me of the progress of each negro, I 

 liked much to keep him, that I might converse 

 with him. He often spoke of the Jesuits, under 

 the name of the Padres da Companhia ; he was 

 fond of them, but he added, " I must not speak 

 well of them, for our prince does not like them ; 

 and yet they did a great deal of good too." He 

 said that they were true and saint-like padres, 

 very different to those of the present day. He 

 was much surprised at my knowing any thing 

 about them ; he said, " You were not alive at 

 the time they were here, and even if you had 

 been alive, you could not have been in Pernam- 

 buco ; therefore how is it that you know of their 

 existence at the time of which I speak." I never 

 could make him perfectly comprehend how I ob- 



